Convoy MKS 22 - warsailors.com (original) (raw)
CONVOY MKS 22
The document from which I've transcribed this information gives departure Gibraltar as Aug. 24-1943; Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System" gives the date as Aug. 25 (15 ships), and indicates that MKS 22 had started out in Alexandria on Aug. 15-1943, arriving Gibraltar on the 25th.
MKS 22 joined up with Convoy SL 135 from Freetown on Aug. 26, arrival Liverpool Sept. 6.
| Transcribed from a document (Advance Sailing Telegram) received from Tony Cooper - His source: Public Records Office, Kew. There was also a faster convoy, MKF 22. Ships in the combined convoy SL 135 / MKS 22 are named at this external link. This first table shows the Gibraltar-U.K. convoy. As can be seen from the second table on this page, some of these ships had just arrived from Alexandria. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Nationality | Cargo | Destination | Comments |
| Ashbury | British | iron ore | Barrow-in-Furness | (See also KMS 22) |
| Begum | " | general | Dundee | – |
| Cerion | " | general | Not for U.K. (see 2nd table) | – |
| Borgholm | Norwegian | iron ore | Ardrossan | (See also KMS 21) |
| City of Agra | British | general | Glasgow | – |
| City of Sydney | " | general | London | – |
| Empire Ortolan | " | iron ore | Glasgow | From MKS 21 |
| " | general | Liverpool | (See also KMS 21) Listed in MKS 23 | |
| Fort Churchill | " | none given | Liverpool | – |
| Matheran | " | general | Liverpool | – |
| Rathlin | " | Rescue Vessel | Clyde | Ref. Notes below |
| Taybank | " | general | Liverpool | – |
| Baron Douglas | " | pyrites | Ardrossan | – |
| Viva | Norwegian | Govt. stores | London | – |
| Spurt | " | none given | Barrow-in-Furness | (See also KMS 21) |
| Note: I've compared the above with a list of ships in Convoy MKS 22 received from Don Kindell, based on A. Hague's own research, and find that A. Hague has not included the British Matheran in this convoy, nor does he mention Cerion (but both are listed in the next table).The Rescue Vessel Rathlin was on her 14th voyage as such, having started this voyage from Clyde on Aug. 9-1943 with Convoy OS 53 / KMS 23 (available at one of the external links at the end of this page) - to Gibraltar Aug. 18, returning to Clyde with Convoy SL 135 / MKS 22, Aug. 24-Sept. 5. (Her previous voyage had been with Convoy KMS 18B - SL 132 / MKS 16), and her 15th voyage was a very busy one when with Convoy ON 202 - returned to Clyde with HX 260). Source: "Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945", Arnold Hague. Escorts (received from Don Kindell, whose own work, covering "Royal & other Navies Day-by-Day in World War 2" can be viewed at this website): Aug. 25-Aug. 26: Antelope, Godetia, Lady Hogarth, Saxifrage. |
| A. Hague's list also shows the following (Algiers, Aug. 22-1943) As mentioned, A. Hague says in his "The Allied Convoy System" that MKS 22 started out in Alexandria on Aug. 15-1943, arriving Gibraltar on the 25th. Transcribed from the document received from Don Kindell - Source: A. Hague's own research. As can be seen in the first table on this page, some of these ships proceeded to the U.K. with the Gibraltar-U.K. convoy. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ship | Nationality | Voyage |
| A. P. Hill | American | Algiers to Gibraltar |
| American Trader | " | Alexandria to Malta |
| Bantria | British | Alexandria to Benghazi |
| Begum | " | Alexandria to U.K. |
| Brasil | Norwegian | Alexandria to Malta |
| Camelia | Swedish | Bizerta to Oran |
| Cerion | British | Alexandria to Tripoli |
| City of Agra | " | Alexandria to U.K. |
| City of Sydney | " | U.K. |
| Coxwold | " | Bougie to Oran |
| Crackshot | " | Bizerta to Algiers |
| David G. Farragut | American | Bizerta to Oran |
| Debrett | British | Alexandria to Sicily, via Malta |
| Empire Carpenter | British | Oran to U.K. (listed in MKS 23) |
| Empire Celia | " | Malta to Gibraltar for Casablanca |
| Empire Kingsley | " | Bone to Oran |
| Empire Patrol | " | Alexandria to Sicily via Malta |
| Empire Perdita | " | Bizerta to Algiers |
| Empire Rosalind | " | Bizerta to Algiers |
| Empire Thackeray | " | Malta to Bizerta |
| Ensis | " | Alexandria to Tripoli |
| Everleigh | " | – |
| Fort Buckingham | " | Bizerta to Algiers |
| Fort Grouard | " | Algiers to Oran |
| Fort Lajoie | " | Alexandria to Malta |
| Fort Lawrence | " | Alexandria to Sicily |
| Fort Poplar | " | Bizerta to Algiers |
| Francis L. Lee | American | Algiers to Gibraltar |
| Harlesden | British | Bizerta to Algiers |
| Helmwood | " | Bizerta to Bone |
| Highland Prince | " | Alexandria to Sicily via Malta |
| BYMS 186 | " | Bizerta to Oran |
| BYMS 187 | " | Bizerta to Oran |
| BYMS 31 | " | Bizerta to Oran |
| BYMS 68 | " | Bizerta to Oran |
| Homer Lea | American | Alexandria to Gibraltar |
| Joel Chandler Harris | " | Bizerta to Oran |
| Matheran | British | Alexandria to U.K. |
| Maya | Honduran | Algiers to Oran |
| Nassa | British | Bizerta to Oran |
| Nirvana | " | Alexandria to Sicily |
| Ocean Hunter | " | Alexandria to Sicily |
| Ocean Vista | " | Bizerta to Algiers |
| Ovula | Dutch | Alexandria to Malta |
| PLM 21 | French | Algiers to Gibraltar |
| Reliant | British | Malta to Bizerta |
| Reverdy Johnson | American | Algiers to Gibraltar |
| Suiyang | British | Alexandria to Sicily |
| Taybank | " | Alexandria to U.K. |
| Temple Arch | " | Algiers to Gibraltar |
| Thistlemuir | " | Alexandria to Sicily |
| Ulla | " | Philippeville to Oran |
| USS Aroostook | American | Malta to unknown port |
| Viva | Norwegian | Alexandria to U.K. |
| Wearfield | British | Bizerta to Oran |
| Welsh Trader | " | "possibly in this convoy" (A. Hague's own note) |
| William D. Moseley | American | Bizerta to Oran |
| Escorts: Aug. 16-Aug. 25: Bergamot, Bluebell, Bryony, Cleveland, Krakowiak, La Malouine, Slazak. |
| Aa–Al | An–Ar | As–Av | Ba | Be | Bi–Bl | Bo | Br–Bu | C | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | F | G | Ha | He | Hi–Hy | Hø | I | J | K |
| L | M | N | O | PQ | R | Sa–Sc | Se–Sj | Sk–Sn | So |
| Sp–St | Su–Sø | Ta–Te | Th–Ti | To | Tr–Tø | U | V | W | Ø |
